New Financial Services Campus in Titanic Quarter

Approval has been granted for the multi-million pound development of a new financial services campus in Titanic Quarter that will house major financial institutions.

In describing how the companies that will occupy the building will represent significant inward investment to the Northern Ireland economy, Environment Minister Edwin Poots said: “This investment will promote further international confidence in Northern Ireland, both in our ability to deliver high quality business facilities and to provide a highly qualified and skilled workforce.
“The investment package will secure some 300 jobs in the construction of these facilities and has a potential to secure around 2,000 permanent jobs in the financial sector.”
Mike Smith, CEO of Titanic Quarter Ltd, added: “Despite the turmoil created by the credit crunch, the financial services sector remains a key inward investment target for Titanic Quarter. As the recent jobs announcement by Citi demonstrated, there is still significant potential for Northern Ireland to attract high value and high profile projects.
“This new development, representing Phase II of Northern Ireland’s first Financial Services Centre, will complement Belfast City Centre and offer potential investors a unique mix of bespoke facilities, hi-tech communications and a distinctive financial-campus style atmosphere.”
Leading planning and urban design consultancy Turley Associates – the planning consultants behind the new financial services campus – welcomed the planning approval.
Diana Fitzsimons, Director at Turley Associates, Belfast said: “Northern Ireland has a highly educated workforce in finance and this campus will provide inward investors with just the right quality of urban environment within which to flourish. The spin off benefits for the rest of the urban area will bring wider prosperity, counterbalancing the decline of other sectors of our economy.”
It has also been confirmed that the new Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) will open to the public on March 30, 2011.